1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment

The 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment lost 9 officers and 232 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 2 officers and 241 enlisted men to disease durng the Civil War. The regiment is honored by a monument on the Harris Farm battlefield near Spotsylvania Court House.

The regiment formed line of battle and fought for four hours agains Ewell’s Second Corps, defending the right flank of the army and Fredericksburg Road.

From the monument on the Harris Farm battlefield:

In commemoration of the deeds of the First Regiment Heavy Artillery Massachusetts Volunteers (Armed as Infantry) three hundred and ninety eight of whose members fell within an hour around this spot during an action fought May 19, 1864 between a division of the Union Army commanded by General Tyler and a corps of the Confederate forces under General Ewell.

Lieutenant Colonel Wight was promoted to colonel. He was detached as Superintendent of Military Railroads in Tennessee for much of 1864 and 1865. Major Shatswell was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He was then promoted to colonel on January 27 but was not mustered.

February 5-7

Dabney’s Mills, Hatcher’s Run

March 13

Colonel Shatswell, who had not been mustered in the rank, was breveted colonel for faithful and meritorious services.